The Far East Strategic Reserve
1955 - 1971

Following on after the Committee into Defence and Defence related Awards (CIDA) report of March 1994, it was noted with some concern by this Association that a further anomalous situation existed with respect to the newly proposed Australian Service Medal (ASM) 1945-1975. The Committee of this Association sanctioned further correspondence to the relevant Minister(s) of the day, which received little positive response. However, not to be deterred, approaches were then made to the opposition Shadow Ministers with the express view of opening a dialogue and gaining commitments from them should they eventually achieve office.

To this end, the then Shadow Minister, Mr. Wilson Tuckey agreed with the proposals as they were put to him. On the 12th of October 1994 the revised medals policy of an incoming Coalition Government would be seen to include those that had served on the Far East Strategic Reserve (FESR) from 02nd July 1955 until 31st October 1971. This ASM would also have an FESR Clasp as suggested to him by us.

The time parameters for the ASM as formulated by the now notorious CIDA report for the ASM ranged from 180 days to 30 days in some instances and from 7 days down to 1 day in others. Suggestions were put to Mr. Tuckey by representatives of this Association that 30 days should be the standard time parameter for all three services for the award of this non-operational medal. Mr. Tuckey agreed and included this, and other suggestions into future coalition medals policy. The ongoing issue of naval service on the FESR during the Malayan Emergency was also raised with him and became the focus of much future effort by this Association.

This Association has always attempted to involve the larger and more conservative organisations in all of its campaigns, aiming for a better deal all round for its members. To this end, we have affiliated with the Naval Association of Australia (NAA), The Returned Services League (RSL) and the Australian Veterans and Defence Service Council (AVADSC). Affiliation with all of the above has, in most instances, proven beneficial, with the proviso that as long as we, the smaller organisation, are prepared to do the much of the ground work and only call on them for support when the bulk of the job is done. Again, much by way of fully documented accounts exist which prove this point beyond any reasonable doubt whatsoever.

As an integral part of this Association's ongoing campaign for recognition of those former members of the RAN, who had served on the FESR during the Malayan Emergency, Bob Gibbs, our welfare officer, designed a medal that accurately depicts RAN service on the FESR during the Emergency. It also recognizes those that served on the Reserve until October 1971. This Medal was then sanctioned in part by the Minister of the day, and afforded an 'Instrument of Consent' on the 26th of April 1995, by the Minister's Delegate. This enabled us to use certain 'words, letters and symbols' which go to make the medal a uniquely Navy one, a first for an Association such as ours.

Resolution of the Malayan Emergency issue involved convincing the Minister and subsequent investigations, that a disservice had been perpetrated upon many former member of the RAN who had merely done their duty. Bob Gibbs spent thousands of hours researching and compiling irrefutable evidence that a case existed for 'equity and comparative treatment' for those sailors that served in the Emergency. Many meetings were held with the NAA, RSL, AVADSC and other organizations of similar ilk. The efforts by all of those involved were finally rewarded in early 2000 when recommendations were put forward by the Hon. Major General Mr. Justice Mohr to the Minister concerned. These recommendations were an integral part of the report of the comprehensive 'Review of Service Entitlement Anomalies in Respect of South East Asian Service - 1955-1975', commissioned by the then Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Mr. Bruce Scott.

Another ongoing issue of concern was HMAS Sydney's troop transport deployment to Borneo in May/June of 1964. In similar fashion to the Vietnam logistic support debacle, this operation was not recognized in any tangible fashion for what was clearly a deployment to an 'operational area'. Despite the efforts by a certain member of the working party assisting Mr. Justice Mohr to derail and ignore this proposition, common sense was to finally prevail. In the very early stages of negotiations, this Association had established the fact that HMAS Sydney and her escorts HMAS Yarra and HMAS Parramatta had actually been allotted for this service, and that the Australian Navy Order covering this allotment was extant, and therefore still valid. Again, irrefutable evidence exists which proves that the major source of information and research into this anomaly emanated from this Association.



Acknowledgement:
Researched and written for and on behalf of the HMAS SYDNEY & VLSVA by Dr. John R Carroll Ph.D MAPsS